"A guy that I take pride in -- I destroyed his career -- is Fred Smoot," Smith said Wednesday on ESPN's "Mike & Mike" radio show. "He was never the same after. After coming in Bank of America Stadium, things just went downhill (for him) from there."

"Whatchamacallit was talking to me in the pregame," Smith said about Smoot after the game. "When somebody is banging on your door, I am not going to hide in the corner ... I am going to open it."

Smith quipped that he remembers the game like it was yesterday.

Does Smith's claim of ruining Smoot's career have any merit? The cornerback played well enough in his first four seasons to land a $34 million contract from the Vikings in 2005. A year and a half later, he was unceremoniously dumped, finishing out his NFL career as a coverage liability with the Redskins.

Smoot was perhaps the first defensive back to learn the "rules and regulations of the game" after raising Smith's hackles. For entertainment's sake, it's a good thing he wasn't the last.